Jester's Tale

Karel Zeman, 1964

head_film_overview_link

film_summary

The exceptional qualities of Karel Zeman’s motion pictures were not only achieved thanks to the support of artistic and technical concepts provided by the director’s film crew, the contributing screenwriters were also essential to his output. It was Pavel Juráček who, along with Zeman, penned the screenplay for the anti-war tragicomedy Bláznova kronika (A Jester’s Tale) made in 1964. Juráček left an indelible mark on Czechoslovak filmmaking of the 1960s. In the making of A Jester’s Tale, a film that marries a historical theme with timeless absurdity, Juráček firmly linked Zeman’s work with the Czechoslovak New Wave. The trio of main protagonists – young villager Petr (Petr Kostka), recruiting officer Matěj (Miloslav Holub) and their female friend Lenka (Emília Vášáryová) – try hard to keep their lives, freedoms and cheerfulness amid the horrors of the Thirty Years’ War. This highly acclaimed film is another demonstration of the ability of Karel Zeman and his team to both charmingly and ingeniously combine live action with animation.
Read more

suphead_film_data

About a film

film_production_year 1964
film_countries Czechoslovakia
film_genres historical, comedy
film_form feature
film_duration 82 min
film_director Karel Zeman
film_cast Petr Kostka, Miloslav Holub, Emília Vášáryová, Valentina Thielová, Karel Effa, Eva Šenková
film_director_of_photography Václav Huňka
film_screenplay Karel Zeman, Pavel Juráček
film_film_editor Miroslav Hájek
film_production_designer Zdeněk Rozkopal
film_music_composed_by Jan Novák
film_sound_designer Roman Hloch

suphead_film_assets

head_film_assets